


'Tis The Damn Season

by TheseLinesofLightning



Category: Strictly Come Dancing RPF
Genre: A Christmas oneshot that very quickly spiralled, A teeny bit of angst, F/M, Fluff, SO MUCH FLUFF, but mostly Christmas goodness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:20:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28549248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheseLinesofLightning/pseuds/TheseLinesofLightning
Summary: Giovanni joins a bubble.
Relationships: Giovanni Pernice/Ranvir Singh
Comments: 26
Kudos: 49





	1. Now I'm Missing Your Smile

Ranvir finished loading the dishwasher and nudged the door shut with her hip. She flicked the kitchen light off and returned to the lounge, immediately curling up on the sofa as some re-run of an old Friends episode played quietly on her TV.

It had been a couple of days since the Strictly final and in some ways it felt like she hadn’t even been on the show at all. After being eliminated, coming home and sliding back into her usual routine had been easy. The distractions of every day life allowing her the time and space from the show she had needed. Sure, there were some differences – she couldn’t listen to the radio without thinking about music counts and she had had to mute her social media notifications thanks to the outpouring of love she’d been receiving; but for the most part, life had gone back to normal.  
She reached for her wine glass as her phone buzzed on the coffee table, allowing herself a sip before she opened the message.

_‘Ready? xx’_

Ranvir hit the call button, pressing the phone between her ear and shoulder as she made herself comfortable on the sofa.

“Hi,”

“Hi,” she echoed.

“I’ve missed that voice,”

“Me too,” she confessed, reaching up to tug at a strand of her hair as she bit her lip. There was an ache in her that she could feel echoed back from him as she remembered telling him they needed some time apart after the final.

“You missed your own voice?” Giovanni asked after a beat. Ranvir let out a laugh and exhaled heavily; if there was one thing she really missed from the past few months, it was him, despite her need for space claims.

“You know what I mean,”

“You sound tired,”

“Oh, charming,” she heard him laugh, her smile stretching wider at the sound. “I’ve just sat down actually,”

“Tushaan in bed?”

“Yeah, a couple of hours ago now,” Ranvir paused, “all the excitement of Christmas is wearing him out earlier and earlier,” when Giovanni didn’t say anything, she continued, “how are your plans working out?”

He sighed on the other end of the line.

“Not well,” he finally admitted, “I can’t leave London so I can’t go home,”

“Oh, Giovanni,” she said softly.

“Yeah, no flights to Italy, so, not great,”

She let him talk as her mind wandered. The thought of him spending Christmas alone weighed heavily on her. No-one deserved to be on their own, least of all him. She tilted her head back slightly as she tried to think of a solution. They had already agreed it would be too much too fast for him to spend Christmas with her family. The bubble they had been in on the show had been truly exceptional but the outside world was a different story; they needed time to get to know each other away from the series and its pressures. But she couldn’t let him wallow on his own on Christmas of all days. Was there no-one else he could bubble with for the holidays? She tried to imagine him bubbling with another of the pros and rather selfishly thought to herself she’d really not have liked it should he have chosen to stay with someone who wasn't her.

Maybe it was the two rather large glasses of wine she’d already drank but the idea of him spending Christmas with her suddenly didn’t sound so crazy. She took another sip of her drink as she prepared herself for what she was about to say.

“But it is what it is!” Giovanni said, his tone falsely positive, “I’ll still facetime my family so-”

“What if you came here?” Ranvir interrupted, her heart feeling ready to beat out of her chest.

He was quiet for a moment and she could practically hear him twisting his ring around his pinky finger.

“Ranvi,”

“I know,” she sighed, “I know we agreed it would be too much but I can’t bear to think you’d be on your own when you could be here instead.”

“What about your family?” He asked quietly.

“None of them are single households so it’s just going to be me and Tushaan now,”

“Won’t he be confused?”

Ranvir smiled, stretching her legs out a little.

“He’ll just be thrilled to have you here, he won’t care what capacity you arrive in,”

Giovanni was silent and just as she was beginning to think about rescinding her invite and politely requesting the ground swallow her whole as he clearly was looking for a nice way to turn her down, he said:

“Thank you,”

She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Tis the season and all that,” she managed to say as her heart rate dropped to its regular level.

“Can I bring anything? Or help with dinner or something?”

“Just you is enough,” Ranvir replied, her words unintentionally heavy with double meaning. She heard him sigh and wondered if she’d said too much.

“It’s weird to think this is the longest we’ve been without seeing each other in almost three months,”

“Ah,” she smiled half-heartedly, “are you missing bossing me around?”

“Yes,” he answered without hesitation, both of them laughing, “I’ve missed you a lot actually,”

“You have?” Ranvir was surprised.

“Don’t you believe me?”

Giovanni wasn’t usually the emotional type but he did always know the right thing to say to her. His words were reassuring and she knew that he’d opened up to let her know they were on the same page.

“I’ve missed you too,” she finally said, finishing the last modicum of wine in her glass.

“Good,”

“Good?” Ranvir repeated with a small laugh.

“Yes,” Giovanni replied, the smile in his tone evident. “I’m looking forward to seeing you,”

“Why don’t you come down on Christmas Eve,” she said before she could second guess herself, “we could have a child-free dinner and you could,” she paused, “stay over,”

“Are you sure?” Giovanni asked, “What about-”

“You can stay in the guest room,” Ranvir said quickly, “saves you a journey Christmas Day and it will be a nice surprise for Tushaan in the morning,”

“Are you sure?” He repeated.

“I’d really love it if you were here,” she practically whispered.

“On one condition,”

“Which is?”

“I get to cook the child-free dinner,”

The laugh that bubbled out of Ranvir was infectious.

“Deal.”

-

The morning of Christmas Eve arrived with the chime of the doorbell. Ranvir opened the door in her dressing gown and offered her postman Richard a smile and a wave as he retreated up the garden path.

“Happy Christmas!” He called, “the flowers are beautiful!”

“Thank you, happy Christmas to you and yours,” Ranvir replied, stepping outside once he was far enough away to scoop up her parcel.

A gorgeous bunch of red roses stood proudly in a partially open cardboard box, a small white envelope nestled within the petals. She frowned, wondering who’d sent her flowers as she brought them inside to the kitchen. She slid the bouquet from the box, thankful they were already in an oasis – with the chaos of Christmas it would have been very unlikely she’d find a vase for the display. Curiosity piqued, Ranvir slid the note from the envelope, resting her elbows on her kitchen counter top as she read.

_‘My beautiful princess, happy Christmas. I’ll be thinking of you. Love you lots, G x’_

She cocked her head, her bottom lip sticking out in a small pout as she marvelled at how sweet Giovanni was. She pulled her phone from her dressing gown pocket, snapping a picture and sending it to him.

_‘They’re beautiful – thank you xx’_

He must’ve been awake despite the early hour because his response was instantaneous.

_‘I sent them before I knew I’d be seeing you instead. Glad you like them xx’_

Her thumbs were poised over the keyboard to respond; with a small smirk she knew what she had to do.

_‘Looking forward to thanking you properly later xx’_

This time his reply took a little longer to come through and she took a tiny amount of delight in catching him off guard.

_‘Shall I wear the sailors costume or...? Xx’_


	2. You Could Call Me Babe For The Weekend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twas the night before Christmas

Making up the guest bedroom was an arduous task. Ranvir hated changing bed sheets that hadn’t been used, but she couldn’t hack the thought that they weren’t clean enough for company. Giovanni would be arriving in a few hours and some part of her still couldn’t believe she’d actually invited him to spend Christmas with her, let alone stay over. She’d spent the day wearing Tushaan out at the play park with Schmizzels and then treated him to a Christmas Eve McDonalds before instructing him to run a bubble bath before bedtime.

Ranvir slid the duvet into its cover, shaking it to make sure it reached the top before buttoning the bottom. It was odd to think that in a matter of hours Giovanni would be asleep in here. She perched herself on the edge of the mattress letting her mind wander to the Italian who’d taken up so much of her brain capacity recently.

This thing between them had ignited so quickly she barely had time to register what she actually felt for him past the physical attraction. The first few weeks were already a blur to her; they were an equal balance of fun and hard work with a lot of harmless flirting thrown in just because they could. By the time they approached their first party Latin she was enjoying every second she spent with him. But that week had been hard, harder than she had ever anticipated and when she had completely crumbled in front of him, sliding down the wall with her knees to her chest and tears on her cheeks, Giovanni had sat beside her and let her cry. They’d spent an hour just talking and learning more about each other and by the end of it she felt emotionally drained and yet so much closer to him than she could ever have imagined.

That week had been a breakthrough for them and the dynamic of their relationship shifted. They were no longer flirting for fun, or at least, Ranvir wasn’t. She had finally admitted to herself that what everyone else was seeing between them was what she wanted. It had been the Argentine Tango that had finally spurned them into action. The sexual tension between them reaching boiling point sometime midweek and Giovanni accidentally brushing his lips against hers during training had thrown them into a heated make out session, only stopping when the crew arrived to film some footage.

Once they’d left, Giovanni had apologised – not for kissing her or for acting on his feelings but for not doing it the proper way. She had laughed him off, wondering what on earth he’d meant by ‘proper way’ and then the following day he’d insisted on a picnic in the park for lunch and had kissed her again, soft and meaningful. From then on their relationship had blossomed. Weeks six and seven forcing them down an emotional road, with their journey coming to its bittersweet conclusion in week eight.

She’d suggested then, still feeling very low after their elimination, that they not see each other in a romantic capacity until after the new year. They both had things to sort out and decisions to make. Ranvir hadn’t spent nearly enough time with her son and she believed Giovanni had to consider whether she was worth turning his entire lifestyle on its head. She had given him an impassioned speech about how he needed to really take some time away from her to decide if this was truly what he wanted. She was older and at a different point in her life to him, it didn’t seem fair to just carry on with their relationship without letting him seriously reflect on what he wanted.

Giovanni had just laughed at her, kissed her soundly and said, ‘I know what I want.’

That had been two weeks ago. She’d seen him for the group dance and on the day of the final where he had held her in his arms as the lights went down, confetti falling gently around them and whispered that he hadn’t changed his mind and now here she was making up the guest room for him.

Screams of joy from the bathroom alerted her back to the present. It was too late to back out now, Giovanni was coming and it was all thanks to her jealous streak. Why didn't she just suggest staying with Kai? She quickly folded down the comforter with a long suffering sigh and headed for what she was sure would be a very bubbly bath.

-

A couple of hours later Ranvir opened her front door to a gorgeous Italian man holding a duffel bag, a bottle of wine and two pizza boxes.

“I know I said I’d cook,” he said quietly, forgoing a standard greeting, “but all the supermarkets were practically empty,”

Ranvir laughed, stepping aside to let him in.

“Well it is Christmas Eve,” she replied as he slipped his shoes off and placed his bag by the door, pointing down the corridor.

“Kitchen?”

“Yeah,”

She lead him down the hallway, letting them into the kitchen and shutting the door behind them to afford them some privacy and the ability to talk at a normal volume.

“I did manage to get a good red,” he grinned holding up a bottle of wine to show her.

Ranvir smiled, taking a step toward him.

“What pizza did you get?” She asked, lifting the lid of the first box he held to check.

“Margherita and Fiorentina,”

“Good choices,” she praised. It was no surprise Giovanni would know exactly what kind of pizza she liked.

“I know,”

Ranvir grabbed a couple of side plates from the cupboard, handing Giovanni a corkscrew for the wine as she placed two glasses in front of him. The pair were quiet as they worked, the wine sliding into the glass the only sound in the room.

“Thanks again for having me,” he said as he finished pouring.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she admitted. She hadn’t realised how quiet her life had been without him and it was true, she had genuinely missed his company. Not to mention that smile. “You wanna eat in the lounge?”

He nodded, grabbing the pizza boxes and plates as she carried the wine through carefully.

Together they placed their dinner on the coffee table, dragging it closer to the sofa before sitting down, sides pressed against each other as if they did this every night. Ranvir flicked the TV on, settling on a radio station channel as Giovanni handed her a plate, a slice of each pizza waiting for her.

“I’m really sorry you couldn’t get back home,” she said, watching him take a bite out of the corner of her eye.

“I thought it might happen,” he replied, his shoulders slumping a little, “it just sucks that I haven’t seen them at all this year,”

“Fingers crossed for 2021 then,”

“Yeah, maybe before Strictly starts again,”

Ranvir chewed thoughtfully. She was very grateful that her family all lived close by and that her work didn’t require her to be away from them too much. Her heart went out to the man beside her, he put on a brave face but she knew he spoke to his family every single day so it must be difficult to have not seen them at all this year. Wanting space from him was now the furthest thing from her mind when the poor boy looked so sad.

“I’m really grateful for the invite to be here,”

“Couldn’t have you alone at Christmas,” she replied, shrugging him off in an attempt at nonchalance.

“Seriously,” he put his empty plate down and turned to give her his full focus, “I know this is a lot for you, I’m really, truly grateful to be here,”

“I’m not sure I’m done with needing a little time,” she said before rushing to reassure him, “I’m happy you’re here, but what I said before still stands. I don’t know how you and I work outside of the show,”

“I know,” he rested his hand on her thigh, stroking his thumb over her knee, “but I also know that we won’t know the answer to that question until we try,”

Ranvir almost laughed. This is exactly what he had told her week in and week out of training. Her brain had told her she couldn’t but Giovanni and her own body had proved that she could. She lamented the parallel but knew he was right.

She looked up at him staring back at her concernedly. Maybe they could use this weekend as a trial?

“I mean, we could,” Giovanni replied and she realised she’d said that last part out loud.

“Do you still want…”

“You?” He grinned cheekily at her, “that hasn’t changed, Ranvi,”

She could barely conceal her eye roll as he surged across the sofa and kissed her, taking the plate out of her hands and discarding it on the coffee table without breaking their connection. Her now free hands reached for his Adidas hoodie, pulling him closer as she succumbed to him, until his full weight was settled firmly on top of her. Giovanni’s hands slid into her hair as he kissed her softly and repeatedly until he finally broke away to press kisses to her jaw and her neck.

"I've been wanting to do this since the last time I saw you,"

“I,” Ranvir started before he hit a particularly sensitive spot by her collarbone and she lost all train of thought.

“Hmm?” Giovanni questioned as she tugged at his jumper. He pulled back to remove it, giving her just enough time to remember she had something to say.

“Before we carry on, I have to bring Tushaan’s presents down,” he leaned back out of her personal space.

“Do you want help?” He asked genuinely.

Everything inside of her melted. Here in front of her was a man who had fought for her, built her up and nurtured her into being the best version of herself and he still wasn’t done. He really did have a heart of gold.

“Fuck it, I’ll get up early,” she mumbled before removing the distance between them and kissing him again. Giovanni laughed against her lips, his hands automatically finding her waist.

“Come on, we’ve got all night,” he kissed her again chastely before pulling back and pushing her hair from her forehead. “Let’s do this for Tushaan and then we can do whatever you want,”

“You gotta stop saying stuff like that to me,” Ranvir replied flustered and sitting back on her heels, “it just makes me want you more.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he smirked. “Do you want any more pizza?”

-

Barely three hours later Ranvir’s body clock stirred her from sleep. She felt warm and safe and happy although her king-size bed felt a little smaller. She took a mental checklist of her position, noting with great satisfaction that Giovanni was curled around her back, one of his arms holding her pressed to his bare chest. She smiled to herself, keeping her eyes closed as she enjoyed the feeling and allowed herself a moment to remember exactly how they had ended up here.

Giovanni had ushered her up the stairs to retrieve the presents for her son as he busied himself cleaning up their dinner. When she had returned he had been rummaging through her fridge.

“What’re you looking for?” She had asked curiously.

“Carrot,” He had replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Ranvir had laughed and pulled him out of the fridge, leading him back into the lounge and pointing to the plate on top of the fireplace. Giovanni had grinned at her, taking the mince pie and splitting it down the middle before insisting on feeding her her half through her laughter. He’d then taken a huge bite out of the carrot as she’d handed him presents to tuck into Tushaan’s stocking.

They’d spent the entire evening giggling and it had been so nice to share a normal moment with him that it had entirely caught her off guard. Giovanni had completely thrown himself into the usually mundane and time consuming task of making it look as though Father Christmas had visited their household that a completely new wave of adoration for him had enveloped her. She had almost forgotten what it was like to make Christmas magic with another adult.

They had stood back to admire their work, Giovanni’s arms around her waist and his chin on her shoulder and she had grinned at him in the mirror above the fireplace before turning in his arms and kissing him soundly.

From then it had got rather heated and before she knew it Giovanni was halfway up the stairs, her legs locked around his waist and his lips attached somewhere south of her neck before she remembered his overnight bag. Ranvir almost laughed out loud at the memory.

“Wait,”

He had stopped in his tracks, pulling back to look at her with concern.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your bag,” she said her hands on his shoulders.

“What about it?”

“It’s downstairs,”

“Yeah,”

Ranvir watched him pointedly, amazed that he was so distracted by her that he had no idea what she was going on about.

“Don’t you need it?” She asked after a moment, a small smirk on her face.

“Oh,” the penny finally dropped and Giovanni finally returned from the stupor he’d been in smiling bashfully, “right,”

He had gently set her down on the stairs and then quietly gone to retrieve his bag.

“I set up the guest bedroom,” Ranvir whispered when he returned. She tried to disguise her grin as he scrambled to hide his disappointment.

“Which room?” He had asked, looking around the landing, as ever the perfect gentleman.

Unable to help herself, she had pressed up on her tiptoes and kissed him.

“I’m only kidding,” she replied, taking his free hand and pulling him into the master.

  
Giovanni stirred behind her, bringing her back to the present as his arm tightened across her waist.

“Are you awake?” He whispered.

“Yeah,” she replied, twisting to face him, “sorry,”

“Is it three am?”

Ranvir laughed quietly, grateful he understood her work sleep schedule before nodding, her nose brushing against his. He tilted his chin up, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She tucked herself into him, resting her head on his chest with a small sigh, allowing her eyes to close. They were quiet for a long moment, their breathing evening out as Giovanni’s fingers danced across her spine, occasionally playing with the ends of her hair.

“Are you still awake?” He asked a minute later.

“Yes,” she mumbled.

“Good,”

Giovanni rolled them until she was pinned beneath him as Ranvir shrieked in surprise. He supported himself on his elbows before trailing kisses down her neck as she laughed so hard she wheezed. Maybe three AM wake ups weren't so bad after all.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the feedback on my fics so far, it's been so lovely hearing from you guys and knowing that you're enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it! Last chapter will be up tomorrow :)


	3. The Road Not Taken Looks Real Good Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day of Christmas magic comes to an end.

Around 7AM Ranvir woke to the sound of her bedroom door being pushed open. She blearily looked toward the barrier, spotting the large pile of clothes she and Giovanni had shed last night jammed underneath and fortunately stopping the door from being opened more than a sliver.

“Tushaan, go brush your teeth, I’ll be out in a minute,” she called frantically. She shoved the man next to her awake desperately, climbing over him to reach the bathroom.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, reaching for her wrist as she passed him.

“He’s awake,” she hissed, tugging herself from his grasp and entering the ensuite, “please put some clothes on in case he comes in,” she sighed through the door, twisting the handle on the shower and waiting for the water to warm up.

“Don’t I get to shower too?” She heard him ask from a lot closer than expected.

She wasn’t really mad at him, she was more mad at herself for not locking the bedroom door or even insisting that Giovanni stay in the guest room. The poor man at least deserved a shower and quite honestly she couldn’t think of a better prospect than sharing said shower with him. Ranvir took a deep breath and unlocked the door.

“We have to be quick,” she said quietly, “and you’ll have to wait here when we’re done so Tushaan doesn’t see you in my room,”

The heartbreak was evident on his face but he covered it quickly with a nod before stepping into the bathroom and locking the door behind him.

“Sorry,” she mumbled pulling him into the shower with her once it was hot enough.

How could she tell him that it wasn’t anything to do with him? She just didn’t want her son to panic or get too excited over the prospect of a man he already idolised in the house let alone in his mother’s room – this was a development that even she wasn’t sure of yet; what were they to each other? Tushaan absolutely could not know until they had had a serious discussion about their future.

The shower was certainly large enough for the both of them but you never would’ve guessed it the way they invaded each other’s space, standing so close the spray was hitting them both equally. Ranvir quickly tied her hair back to avoid it getting more than damp before reaching behind Giovanni for the shower gel.

“I understand,” he said, holding out his hand for the bottle once she was done. “How do you want to do this?”

“The shower?” She cocked her head confused as Giovanni laughed gently.

“Tushaan,”

“Oh, just let me get dressed and then I’ll head down and start breakfast with him,”

“You make him have breakfast before he can see his presents?” Giovanni asked, outraged. She grinned at him as he handed her a tube of cleanser.

“It’s tradition,”

“That’s mean,” he countered.

“It is what it is,” she shrugged, ducking her head under the spray to rinse the face wash. “Then I’ll come and get you to surprise him and we can have breakfast together?”

She briefly wondered if this was supposed to be sexier, their first shower together but the soft look on Giovanni’s face was enough to push any of her doubts away. He must’ve sensed her mild discomfort as he wrapped his arms around her, fingers softly caressing the curve of her spine and bent to kiss her gently. It took every inch of will power she had not to push him against the glass and repeat last night but instead she grinned goofily up at him, removing herself from his embrace to step out of the shower with a sigh.

“Hey,” he said, reaching for her hand and squeezing her fingers, “Merry Christmas,”

The tension left her body immediately, God, he made her heart melt.

“Merry Christmas Giovanni,”  
  
-

Ranvir chuckled to herself as she sliced the carrot on her chopping board. From her spot in the kitchen she could hear Giovanni had lost to Tushaan again. Her son was giggling away as Giovanni faked outrage at losing another round of the racing game they were playing. She had managed to pre-order a Playstation 5 back in the summer which had arrived just in time for Christmas. Sure she was probably spoiling him but after the year they’d had, he definitely deserved it. The radio was playing her favourite Christmas station and she hummed along quietly, content to listen to her boys play next door.  
The surprise that Giovanni had joined them for Christmas had made her son cry tears of joy before he had fully leapt at the dancer, begging him to stay for the whole day so they could play together. Giovanni had been a good sport, squeezing him tightly and promising him a day full of games. They had had a short lived breakfast together, Tushaan inhaling his pancakes before dragging them both into the lounge and screaming that Santa had been. Giovanni had even managed to sneak a few presents for him under the tree without her knowledge and she had marvelled at his heart of gold and how he always seemed to go above and beyond.

She heard the kitchen door open and looked up just in time to see Giovanni step in and close it behind him.

“Lost again huh?” She asked returning to her board, a small smirk on her face.

“Little man’s had practice,” Giovanni grinned, stepping behind her and pressing a kiss to the side of her neck. “Can I help with anything?”

Ranvir let her head drop back slightly to his chest as she finished slicing the carrots.

“Nope, I just gotta put the carrots onto boil and then I’ll carve the turkey,” she knew she sounded pleased with herself but she’d prepared the majority of the food the afternoon before so that she could get the most of out the day and it had cut her time in the kitchen in half.

“In that case, can I interest you in a dance?” He asked, turning the radio up slightly before returning to his position behind her.

Ranvir laughed, placing the knife on the chopping board and turning to face him.

“Really?” She asked incredulously.

“What?” He laughed, lifting her arms around his neck.

“You’re gonna make us ‘those people’,”

“Don’t you want to dance with me?”

Ranvir rolled her eyes but knew she was about to cave. Giovanni clearly knew it too as he was sporting a very smug grin.

“Okay fine, but make sure you don’t knock anything over,”

“Please,” he scoffed.

She let her arms slip from his neck, effortlessly landing in a ballroom frame. She tilted her head back enjoying the feeling of being in her safe place as she settled into her knees. Giovanni lead them around the small kitchen to the sound of ‘Please Come Home for Christmas’ echoing from the radio and she genuinely felt like she was floating. There was something about dancing with him that felt completely right and like home and she wondered, not for the first time, how she would ever give this up.

The song came to an end as he dipped her backwards, his hands at the base of her spine as she righted herself and opened her eyes. Giovanni rested his forehead against hers, his breathing a little heavier than usual.

“Beautiful, as always,” he whispered.

Ranvir let her hands lie flat on his chest as she looked up and into his green eyes. She watched his pupils dilate as he stared back at her before leaning down to meet her in a slow, soft kiss. So far the day had been perfection and she couldn’t wait to see what the rest of it had in store.

-

Giovanni flopped down on the sofa forcing Ranvir to look up from her book.

“He go down okay?” She asked, sliding her bookmark into place and closing the cover.

“Little man kept changing his mind on what he wanted me to read,” he laughed, opening his arms and inviting her in. She shuffled up the sofa between his legs and rested comfortably on his chest.

“What did he settle on?”

“Something about the postman?”

“Oh, that’s a classic,” Ranvir said with a smile. His fingers threaded through her hair and she forced herself not to hum contentedly. “Thank you for reading him a bedtime story,”

“Thank you for having me today,” he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, “has it surprised you?”

“The day?” She asked.

“Our trial,” he laughed. Ranvir thought for a second.

“Yeah, I guess in a way it has,” she admitted, glad that she couldn’t see what was bound to be a smug smile on his face, “it’s forced me to think about us in a different light,”

“Yeah?”

The pair were quiet for a moment and Ranvir knew she’d have to broach the subject sooner rather than later. She allowed herself a couple more seconds just lying in his arms before she spoke.

“I still think we should give it until the new year,”

Giovanni sighed behind her.

“Even after this weekend?”

“Not every day is going to be like today,” she said, sitting up and turning to look at him properly. “This isn’t just us we’re talking about – there’s a completely innocent child involved and I just really think you should be absolutely sure before you commit to that,”

“I am sure,”

“You think you’re sure,” Ranvir countered, “I need you to be absolutely certain,”

“And you think I can’t do that,” he stated, a line appearing on his forehead.

“I didn’t say that,” she paused not wanting to start an argument, “I had the best time with you today and I know Tushaan did too but it’s not always rainbows and butterflies. We’re going to argue and get into misunderstandings and we’re going to have to tell him off or help him with homework-”

“I know that and I’ve already told you I want to commit to both of you, I’m ready to, my feelings on that haven’t changed,” he interrupted.

“But what if they do?” Ranvir asked, suddenly close to tears. She couldn’t have another man walk out on her, her heart could only take so much and for some reason just the idea of losing Giovanni made her want to break down. “A divorced woman and a kid that isn't yours aren't exactly hot commodities. What if down the line you decide it’s too much for you? I could just about handle that, but my child can’t, I won’t let that happen to him,”

“I can’t promise you that twenty, thirty, forty years down the line we’ll be the same people but right now and for as far as I can see into the future, I love you both and I can’t stand that you won’t give that a chance.”

Ranvir sighed at the hurt evident in his tone, his Italian accent thicker than she had heard before. He stood up from the sofa, wringing his hands as he so often did when he was nervous.

“But you’re not going to let me prove that we have something special, are you?” Giovanni’s question sounded more like a statement and when she dropped her head to look at her lap, she knew he had his answer. When she looked up again he was stood by the door. “Will you let me out?”

She hastily brushed her tears away as she stood and followed him into the hallway.

“Do you need me to call you a taxi?”

“I think the walk will be good for me,”

“Giovanni, it’s pitch black and freezing cold out there! Please let me-”

“Ranvir, I need the walk.”

She opened her mouth to speak but changed her mind at the look on his face. With a nod, she reached for her front door keys on the mantle, sliding them into the lock and opening the door.

“Thank you again for having me today,”

She couldn’t do anything but stare at the ground. She could feel his gaze on her for a long time before he turned on his heel and began to walk away. She wanted to take it back, everything she’d said but she knew that for the sake of her heart and her son, he had to be absolutely one hundred percent certain and willing to commit fully; she just wasn’t sure he was there yet.

“Oh,” he called from the top of the garden path, “I’ll be here in the new year and for every day after – don’t think you’re getting away from me that easily.” Giovanni shot her a small smile before turning his back on her and walking up the path.

Ranvir just about managed to get the door shut before she burst into a cross between a laugh and a sob. That man was quite honestly going to be the death of her. She’d really thought she’d gotten him to give up on her but he’d done exactly the opposite whilst still managing to give her the space she so wanted.

Today had truly been a fairytale. She’d woken up safe and warm in the arms of a man she adored, her son had had the most amazing day as he remarked on Rudolph eating the carrot he’d left out for him and the presents that bubbled out of his stocking. She couldn’t remember a time when she had laughed so much, trading off the gaming controller to Giovanni so she could at least attempt to give her son a challenger. She’d danced around her kitchen feeling like she was floating on air and had spent a good hour listening from the bottom of the stairs as Giovanni read The Jolly Postman to her son trying to get him to go to sleep. And how did she end the most magical day? By pushing away the greatest man she knew and essentially kicking him out of her house.

Her heart ached as she thought about his smile, his laugh, his ability to have a completely silent conversation with her. They had a level of intimacy she wasn’t aware even existed before she met him and he knew absolutely everything about her, all her demons and scars and still wanted to be her partner.

Deciding enough was enough and that tomorrow would be a new day, Ranvir flicked the lounge light off and climbed the stairs pausing in the doorway to her room with a start. On her bed was a garment bag and an envelope that wasn’t there when she’d left her room this morning. She frowned and made her way over, sliding the card from the envelope as she reached for the zipper.

_‘Ranvi, I don’t know if you know but at the end of the season the costume department sell the clothes from the current and previous years. I couldn’t not get you this dress. I know you’ll never wear it again but it belongs with you and only you. Love you lots, Giovanni x’_

The tears she’d managed to mostly keep at bay finally fell as she pulled the zip down to reveal her waltz dress. It was just as beautiful as she remembered it, the crystals glittering under her bedroom light holding some of her most revered memories. She could almost feel his hand on the small of her back as they danced together in their own little world on the ballroom floor.  
What had happened on the night of the semi-final had been a shock to almost everyone. Their elimination had not been part of the plan - the dance off, Giovanni had warned her, would be likely and so they'd spent hours longer on her waltz in preparation. In the end, it hadn't mattered - they'd still been knocked out. But not once had he made it seem like it was her fault, he had stood beside her telling her how proud he was and how she had grown so much in the past eight weeks and held her close as she cried. It had been heart breaking and, rightly or wrongly, Ranvir had assumed that would be it. They would leave the Strictly bubble, go back to their separate lives pretending they were friends and next year Giovanni would have another chance at the glitterball. However, contrary to her belief, he was still here, he still wanted her and he wasn't backing down.  
It occurred to her then that by pushing Giovanni away, the only person she was really hurting, the only heart she was truly breaking, was her own. Ranvir brushed the tears away and reached for her phone, sinking down on the edge of her bed and pulling up his number. She hoped he’d answer but the phone rang once, twice, three times and she sighed. No wonder he wasn’t picking up with the way she treated him.

“Hello,” he finally answered.

“Hi,” she breathed. Not really knowing what to say after her epiphany she eventually mumbled, “I got your gift,”

“Oh,”

“Yeah,” Ranvir paused before letting out a deep breath, “I was wrong, so, so wrong,”

Giovanni laughed quietly, the sound of nearby traffic echoing down the phone.

“You liked it then?”

“Of course I do! But that’s not the point,”

“Ah, so you worked out you’re a little bit crazy and that I'm really not going anywhere?”

“I think I realised I was crazy as I shut the front door,” she sniffled, “but now I know I was crazy,”

He laughed louder and she managed a small laugh of her own.

“So,”

“Will you please come back? I’d really like to apologise,”

She heard a knock from downstairs and raised an eyebrow, forgetting he couldn’t see her through the phone.

“I didn’t get very far,” he admitted, “I left my bag at yours with my flat keys inside,”

Ranvir barked out a laugh.

“What were you going to do?” She asked as she took the stairs two at a time.

“Walk around for a bit, call my landlord,” Giovanni cut himself off as she opened the door to him, a wide beaming smile on her face.

“I can’t bear to admit it but,” she shook her head as he grinned smugly at her, “I trust you and if you say you want to commit then I think we should give it our best shot.”

“Thank you, God,” He held his hands in a prayer motion and looked upward with a smile. Ranvir swatted at him with a laugh before he stepped over the threshold and kissed her. She pulled back as his cold hands cupped her cheeks. “I meant every word I said, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good,”

“Yeah,” and then he was kissing her again and she couldn’t believe she had tried to deprive herself of this man. He was truly everything and she absolutely couldn’t wait to watch their lives unfurl together. It really was the damn season.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it! I really hope you guys enjoyed it - especially ranvirsgio since this was for you!! This also ended up being 6.6k words so... I love writing them and I can't wait to see them together again in the near future :)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this was supposed to be a oneshot for ranvirsgio over on Twitter but it kinda steamrolled into a fic that when it's finished will probably be just over 5k words. Hope you guys aren't ready for Christmas to be over just yet...


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